In conventional systems that create tabular data for use in a two-dimensional table format, individual data entries are generally sorted into fixed categories matching the attributes of the data to the objective. Numerical values for each data element are added up according to each category and compiled in a table format.
However, as the economic situation and business environment changes, it is often difficult to create tabular data on an in-house analytical computer system employing the conventional categories established by the company when attempting to import information from outside the company. Reconstructing this in-house analytical system to overcome these difficulties would require much time and expense.
Therefore, a method is needed for creating desired tabular data comprising numerical data with prices, unit cost, and the like, without modifying the individual data in the in-house analytical system. The tabular data must incorporate external information while also taking advantage of the totaled values in the conventional in-house categories.
FIG. 6 shows an example of sales data described below. The table on the left in FIG. 6 shows in-house data for an average company. In this table, the columns indicate different products produced by the company (A, B, C, and D), with the total sales for each product indicated at the bottom of the corresponding column. The rows divide the sales by retailer (1, 2, 3, and 4), with total sales for each retailer indicated in the right-hand cell of the corresponding row.
The table on the right in FIG. 6 shows total sales for each end-user that have been recompiled and sorted for different categories based on data from the retailers. In other words, FIG. 6 shows a case in which sales data organized by end-user was received from retailers 1, 2, 3, and 4, and two-dimensional tabular data was newly created with the columns of product categories and rows of sales data according to end-user. In this example, the totaled values in the columns of the in-house table are still used, but the totaled data in the rows is rearranged in the external data.
The in-house system cannot always be used immediately after performing this type of rearrangement. It is particularly difficult to use the in-house system when modifying attributes of external data to suit the conditions.
In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system capable of overcoming problems in conventional computing methods for finding numerical values in each cell of a table based on row and column data, the finding of which numerical data has been considered difficult when the row totals are rearranged in external data, as described above. The system of the present invention can incorporate social and economic data supplied from various institutions including public organizations in data of the in-house system and can compile and analyze in-house data under new attributes not stored in the in-house system.